


Out of Breath

by harvestleaves



Series: Out of Breath [1]
Category: 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)
Genre: Asthma, M/M, Owen is a worried dad, TK doesn't like to worry people, carlos to the rescue
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-23
Updated: 2020-01-27
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:55:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,031
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22367512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/harvestleaves/pseuds/harvestleaves
Summary: TK has an asthma attack in the middle of the night, cue worried dad Owen and gentle, soothing Carlos to the rescue.
Relationships: Carlos Reyes (9-1-1 Lone Star)/TK Strand, Owen Strand & TK Strand, TK Strand & Judd Ryder
Series: Out of Breath [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1618924
Comments: 43
Kudos: 824





	1. Chapter 1

TK woke up groggily at midnight in the firehouse during their overnight shift. Confused as to what could have possibly woken him up, he was immediately reminded of it when he tried to take a deep breath and felt the catch in his chest, trying to stifle a wheeze as he pushed himself out of the bed. Sneaking a glance back to where his dad was fast asleep, he thought briefly about waking the other man up before he shook his head and headed downstairs to the locker room, hoping he remembered to pack his inhaler in his bag. Once he thought he was far enough out of hearing range, TK finally let out the bought of chesty coughs, his wheezing breaths picking up as he felt himself start to panic.

Getting to the locker room, TK threw his bag onto one of the benches and started to dig through it for his inhaler. Coming up empty-handed after a few minutes of hurried searching didn’t help TK to relax at all. Moving to sit on the bench next to his open bag, TK took a shaky breath through his nose and set his forearms on his thighs, trying to catch his breath enough to go wake his dad up.

“TK? You alright?”

TK picked his head up and shakily turned to where Judd was standing in the doorway, arms crossed over his chest as he surveyed TK. He may not have been a trained paramedic, but he’d been on enough calls to know an asthma attack when he saw one.

“Do you need me to grab Marjan or Blake? Maybe just your dad? Don’t talk, just nod your head for me. Once for a paramedic, twice for your dad,” Judd said, keeping his voice calm but authoritative when TK opened his mouth to speak and just started coughing again.

TK bit his bottom lip hard as he tried to inhale steadily through his nose before he shakily gave two nods, relaxing a little when Judd patted him on the shoulder before saying he’d be back with Owen. Watching the other man leave made the panic finally set in however as TK blinked back a few tears, his breaths slowly getting more labored.

* * *

“Hey, Cap? Wake up, your kid needs you,” Judd sighed as he firmly shook Owen on the shoulder to wake him up.

Blinking groggily, Owen slowly sat up and rubbed his eyes before raising an eyebrow curiously up at the other.

“Why, may I ask, are you waking me up at...12:10 in the morning when there is no call?” Owen asked with a yawn after he checked his watch for the time.

“It’s TK. The kid’s down in the locker room having an asthma attack, can’t seem to find his inhaler. He told me to wake you instead of one of the paramedics. I don’t suppose you’ve got an extra one of his inhalers laying around, do you?”

“His asthma? He hasn’t had a bad attack in a few years. I might have one of his spares in my bag. In the meantime, can you wake Blake up? She can assess if he needs the ER,” Owen explained as he got out of bed quickly to rush down to TK.

Entering the locker room, his eyes widened in concern at the state his son was in; face pale and lightly sweaty as he struggled for breaths that just didn’t seem to be coming. His heart immediately broke at the panic that filled TK’s eyes, the same panicked look that he was given when TK had his first asthma attack at 6 years old.

Shaking himself out of his thoughts, Owen grabbed his own bag out of his locker before setting it down next to TK, squeezing his son's hand before starting to rummage through his own bag. “Hey kiddo, I’m here. Dad’s here. Just keep breathing. Slow deep breaths, you know the drill.” Trying to keep his voice soothing, he swore under his breath when he couldn’t find TK’s spare either and looked up in relief when the door opened. He raised an eyebrow curiously when he saw Carlos instead of Michelle, though realization hit him when he saw the telltale blue inhaler in Carlos’ hand.

“Captain Strand, hi. TK left this at my place earlier today, I found it when I was on my way back in from my shift and figured I should bring it over. Is he okay? Michelle said she was gonna grab her stethoscope and some oxygen, but also said he should try this first. Can I?” Carlos explained as he stepped towards TK before dropping to his knees in front of the other man, gently taking his hand to press the inhaler against TK’s palm after shaking it briefly.

“Hey Tiger, just me. Do you need my help? Or can you take a puff of that on your own for me?” Carlos said gently as he slowly tilted TK’s chin up to get a better look at him, wiping away a stray tear that slid down the other man's cheek.

TK didn’t give a verbal response as he shakily brought the inhaler up to his lips and gasped in a breath of the medicine before coughing a few times and trying the medication once more. The panic had started to ebb away with Carlos’ soothing voice and he slowly drew in a ragged breath once he felt the tightness in his chest ease up. Choking on another shaky sob, he leaned into Carlos for a hug as the adrenaline from his heart racing finally kicked in and he started to fully cry, still shaken up from his attack.

“Hey, easy there Tiger. Breathe for me, I don’t want you having another attack. You’re okay, I know that was scary. I’ve got you,” Carlos whispered softly against TK’s hair as he held the other in a firm hug, not planning on letting go until the other was calmed down.

After a few quiet minutes, TK’s breathing had slowed to just a few wheezes and he pulled back from Carlos to quickly rub at his teary face. He could feel his face start to flush in embarrassment however when he finally noticed his dad, Michelle, and Judd watching from the corner of the room.

“H-hey. I’m sorry about all that. I didn’t mean to wake anyone up,” TK immediately started to apologize and Michelle just put her hand up with a shake of her head.

“The exact opposite actually. You should have immediately woken someone up when you couldn’t find your inhaler sweetheart. What if Carlos hadn’t come by with it? I don’t ever want to see you without that, I will glue it to you if I have to. Carlos, do you mind driving him to the ER and staying with him? Captain Strand would, but he has to stay here with the team in case there’s a call,” Michelle said as she listened to TK’s chest, frowning at the deep wheezes that were still audible in his chest.

“Of course I can take him over. Captain Strand? I promise I will call you the second we get there and I’ll keep you updated. C’mon Tiger, let’s get you to a doctor,” Carlos said, whispering the last part to TK as he helped him up and out of the locker room to head to his car.

Owen just watched from the side and turned to Judd with a confused look. “Is it just me, or did they seem surprisingly close for what I’m pretty sure TK told me was just a hookup?”

“I’m not sure Cap, it’s too early in the morning for me to think about, let’s just get some more sleep,” Judd grumbled as he nodded towards the door.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Owen makes TK stay home after his attack and enlists Carlos to keep him company.

“Dad, are you really making me stay home today? I’m _fine_. The doctor at the ER even said it was probably a one-off attack due to stress,” TK pouted at his father as he poured himself a cup of coffee, upset that his dad was being, what he considered to be, overprotective.

“TK, you haven’t had an attack that bad in _years_ , clearly something is going to to make it act up. I’m not going to risk you having another attack. I don’t have to be in until this afternoon. I figure we can finish unpacking, maybe watch a movie this morning and I can see if someone can come to check on you while I’m on shift,” Owen suggested with a stern look to remind TK that he wasn’t going to budge on his stance.

Rolling his eyes, TK dropped his head back with a dramatic sigh of ‘fine’, though it sounded whinier than he meant for it to be. When he finally glanced back at his dad, he glared at the amused smirk the older man had on his face, clearly too excited for TK to be miserable all day.

“Your attack just made me realize how much extra stress you’re probably under and I just want to make sure you’re not overexerting yourself. I was terrified when I saw you in the locker room. Watching your kid in pain isn’t easy. But not being able to do a single thing about it? That’s even worse. It was like reliving your first attack all over again. All I wanted to do was hug you and tell you everything was going to be okay, even though I wasn’t completely sure it would be.”

TK’s eye’s widened in surprise at his father's admission and he immediately felt bad for acting a bit like a grumpy toddler at being forced to stay home.

“Dad, I’m sorry. I should have woken you up, but the last thing I wanted to do was worry you, especially since you were already so worried about me with my OD and all. I guess I just didn’t think about how you’d feel if the attack got worse. I can usually handle them on my own, I truly thought my inhaler was in my bag.”

“I know kiddo, but you should know by now that I’m never going to stop worrying about you. All these gray hairs are from you ya know,” Owen teased as he pulled TK into a gentle side hug before ruffling his son's hair with a grin. “What do you say we skip unpacking until this afternoon and go watch a movie on the couch. Your choice.”

TK laughed softly at the offer and nodded, lifting his mug up to take a drink of the still-warm coffee as he leaned into the hug, immediately relaxing at the comforting embrace. He was pretty sure that no matter how old he got, a hug from his dad would always make him feel safe. “Can we watch a Marvel movie?” he asked hopefully, half just wanting an excuse to ogle attractive superheroes.

“Sure bud. You go pick a movie, I’ll be right there,” Owen smiled as he finished his coffee before making his way to the living room. He let out a small aww however when he saw TK on the couch, the throw that was usually just for decoration tossed over him as he laid curled up on his side, one arm tucked under his head.

Turning to look at his dad, TK blushed at the look he was getting and immediately moved to sit up.

“No, lay back down, you’re okay,” Owen laughed softly as he walked towards the couch and sat on the side near where TK had his head on the couch. “What movie did you pick?”

“Avengers Endgame,” TK smiled as he looked up at his dad, stifling a small yawn despite the coffee he’d ingested before moving his head to where it could be propped up on his dad’s leg. It was a familiar rhythm, Owen’s hand immediately coming to rest on TK’s head as he ran his fingers through his son’s hair, a motion he knew would eventually coax the younger man back to sleep. It was a trick he’d used often whenever TK was sick as a kid and too stubborn to go to sleep.

“D-dad, ‘m not tired,” TK half-whined through another yawn, his eyelids slowly drifting shut despite his best efforts as he fell asleep before the opening credits were even finished, nuzzling into the blanket he was under.

* * *

When TK next opened his eyes, he realized that his head was now resting atop a throw pillow and the distinct smell of his dad’s chili was in the air. Rubbing at his sleep-filled eyes, TK sat up before looking around the living room, his hair sticking up in multiple spots as he finally spotted the clock letting him know that it was almost one in the afternoon, which explained why his dad was making lunch.

Making his way towards the kitchen, TK raised an eyebrow curiously when he heard hushed voices in the room and slyly peered in to see Carlos at the kitchen island with his dad, talking about how spicy the food in Texas usually was and joking about how Owen’s chili needed more heat.

Carlos turned his head to the doorway when he heard movement and smiled brightly at TK, his heart melting at how sleepy TK still looked with his baggy hoodie and rumpled up hair.

“Hey there sleepyhead, feeling better?” Owen asked as he turned to TK as well, smiling at how refreshed he looked now that he’d managed to rest a bit.

“Um, yeah, I feel a lot less tired,” TK admitted with a blush as he ran a hand through his hair nervously before he smiled shyly at Carlos. “What are you doing here? I thought you worked today?”

“I just got off my shift, it was a short one. Plus, your dad called me to stay with you to make sure you don’t try and sneak off to the firehouse,” Carlos teased with a smile as he stood up and walked over to TK to pull him into a soft hug. “Seriously though, how are you feeling today?”

TK immediately snuggled into the hug from Carlos, pressing his cheek against the taller man's shoulder as he took a deep breath of the other's cologne. “I’m feeling better, I promise. You smell really good by the way.” TK nuzzled against Carlos for another few minutes before pulling away with another blush when his dad cleared his throat. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay. I’m gonna head out for work. The chili is ready whenever you two get hungry. So relax, and don’t do anything strenuous, sex included,” Owen stated with a pointed look to TK when his son’s eyes widened in embarrassment before he laughed and grabbed his keys.

TK watched his dad leave through the front door before he turned to Carlos with wide eyes. “I am so sorry about what he said! I definitely want to have sex again, don’t get me wrong, but definitely not when you are being so incredibly sweet and offering to take time out of your day to watch over me,” he found himself rambling without taking a breath, which was, in retrospect, not the best idea when he found himself wheezing a little as Carlos started to rub his shoulders gently.

“Hey, take a breath Tiger. It’s okay, we can have sex later on, I just want you to relax. The last thing I want is for you to have another attack,” Carlos soothed as he watched TK take a shaky breath, guiding him in a breathing exercise before TK coughed softly. “Better? Do you need your inhaler?”

“N-no, I’m okay. I promise,” TK smiled reassuringly as he caught his breath, though the wheeze still worried Carlos and he bit his lip before pressing a kiss to TKs forehead.

“If you’re sure. Do you want some food before we relax?”

“Sure, food sounds great. I’ll be right back, bowls are above the sink to the right,” TK smiled as he pressed a kiss to Carlos’ cheek before he snuck off to his room to use his inhaler, the medication helping immediately as he slid the object into his pocket, figuring it was probably a good idea to keep it close by before he made his way back into the kitchen, where Carlos had two bowls of the chili set up with some crackers on the counter.

“Let’s eat and then just cuddle for a bit.”

TK nodded in agreement as he took his own bowl of food, letting out a small moan at the first bite of food before he smiled blissfully, Carlos blushing at the practically obscene noise the other made before he turned his attention to his own food.

Once their food was finished, TK took his and Carlos’ bowls, rinsing them and placing them into the dishwasher before he turned to the other man.

“Do you want to just go to my room and lay down for a bit? You just got off a shift, so a nap probably sounds good, huh?” TK offered with a smile as he slid his hands into his pockets, fiddling with his inhaler nervously as Carlos nodded in agreement.

“A nap sounds amazing. Only if I get to be the big spoon though,” Carlos grinned as he pressed a kiss to TK’s lips, letting the other lead him back to his room before he stretched out on the bed and patted the spot next to him for TK. When the smaller male stretched out next to him, Carlos raised an eyebrow at the feeling of rough plastic pressing against his thigh and reached into TK’s pocket to take out his inhaler before he placed it on the side table within arms reach, gently taking TK’s hand when the other reached out for it nervously.

“I’ll keep an eye on your breathing. It’s okay to rely on other people babe. I can even start carrying a spare if it’ll make you feel more at ease. I won’t let anything happen to you, I promise,” Carlos whispered softly as he pressed a kiss to TK’s forehead, smiling as the other practically melted against his chest, eyelids drifting shut.

**Author's Note:**

> If you have any prompts, you can submit them to my [tumblr](https://harvestleaves.tumblr.com).


End file.
